I was just wondering what some of the techniques or trickery you guys use when mixing 2 tracks.

The fade in fade out, slam and baby scratch is all I know (please don't hate me).

I use a xone :22 and cdj900's.

I need to liven up my bedroom and chuck some variations in you know what im saying?

JackStalk

07-23-2012, 01:11 AM

beatmatch + bass swap
or
Roll effect 1/1 -> 3/4 -> 1/2 ->1/4 into next track
or
set two loops and mix them

Those are a few I use, but there's a bunch of ways to mix two tracks together. It's the art of DJing, and takes practice. Just mess around with the buttons and learn how they all compliment a given track.

tekno_violet

07-23-2012, 01:29 AM

Yeah it feels like I hit a brick wall while practicing..

Basically when I cant get anything to mix well I get frustrated and my ears get pissed off from the train wrecking and racket so my sessions don't end up lasting very long.

I suppose after a few more months practicing i should upgrade mixer or get a effects unit to add more spice...

any more?

DJ Matt

07-23-2012, 02:36 AM

1. beatmatch song B , then spinback song A

2. filter out song A with hi pass filter, filter in song B with hipass filter

3.one technique i have been playing with lately is to use the cue buttons , particularly useful of changing tempo

if there is a isolated sound at the beginning of song B you can hit that sound in time with Song A towards the end and when song A finally ends you hit play on ong B

another option is to hit the brake effect, (turn off the power switch) on song A , for that "wind down" effect like batteries running out, song B starting with volume down fully, then raising the volume while hitting the cue button very fast, until it reaches full volume then letting the song play

4. mix in different part of song B, then when its mixed in, use cue button to skip back to beginning of track
:P

tekno_violet

07-23-2012, 05:48 AM

Thanks Matt

Moar!!

:teef:

Sigma

07-23-2012, 09:11 AM

One thing you don't hear many DJs do now is making use of the crossfader to cut back and forth between tracks during the transition.

Here's an example: -

http://www.sigmamixes.com/misc/MixExample.mp3

So the next track comes in around the 9 second mark. I have the fader all the way over to the left, so track 1 is heard (the one with the piano in it), then for each snare hit, I knock the fader all the way over to the right so you hear the snare hit, then back to the left again so you hear the piano from track 1. This is repeated for each snare hit through the transition from 9 seconds to 27 seconds, then I slam the fader all the way over to the right when the first verse of track 2 starts.

It has the "ya don't stop" bit added over the top, but ignore that.

Sigma

07-23-2012, 09:23 AM

Another one is the scratch/fade or echo out.

Here's an example: -

http://www.sigmamixes.com/misc/MixExample2.mp3

So in this example, I'm doing a straight up blend of both tracks that starts at 10 seconds in. I take a bit of bass out of track 1. Then at 36 seconds in where the singing in track 1 goes "I'll be good" I do a tear on the "good" part, while fading it out with the line fader. You can do various scratches and fade them like this, but baby scratches and tears sound particularly good and they're easy to do.

An echo out is effectively the same thing, except instead of doing a baby scratch, tear or whatever and slowly fading the sound out, you do fading forward scratches, so it would go like this: -

"I'll be good...good...good...good...good..."

And each "good" is in time with the beat. You do it with the line fader and lower the volume each time a "good" plays.

Echo outs are a bit more tricky, but a good way to practice them is to just play a beat, take a sample - the good old "fresh" will do - and practice doing forwards with it using the line fader, so it goes "fresh...fresh...fresh" in time with the beat. Once you can do that, practice lowering and raising the volume of the forwards.

You can do echo outs using effects on your mixer, built into the DVS, or with an effects unit, but it's nice to be able to do them manually, especially as there are more advanced techniques you can do with them that you can't do with effects (but I won't get into that now).

ben mills

07-23-2012, 11:13 AM

One thing you don't hear many DJs do now is making use of the crossfader to cut back and forth between tracks during the transition.

Here's an example: -

http://www.sigmamixes.com/misc/MixExample.mp3

So the next track comes in around the 9 second mark. I have the fader all the way over to the left, so track 1 is heard (the one with the piano in it), then for each snare hit, I knock the fader all the way over to the right so you hear the snare hit, then back to the left again so you hear the piano from track 1. This is repeated for each snare hit through the transition from 9 seconds to 27 seconds, then I slam the fader all the way over to the right when the first verse of track 2 starts.

It has the "ya don't stop" bit added over the top, but ignore that.

I do something of similar effect in my mixes, but using the faders and not the crossfader.

It can be heard in my mix posted below.

Another funky little effect I like (and use a lot) is I will start the mix on beat 1 of the breakdown of the live, outgoing track, but with the bass completely killed on the incoming track and then bass pumping the incoming track during the breakdown of the outgoing track - creating a little mini build up inside that breakdown, up to the drop coming out of the breakdown. Frequency varies with how long the breakdown is. If it's just an 8 bar breakdown, I might pump the beats on 17, 25, 29, 30, 31, 32. Sometimes what I'll do is have the incoming track up at full volume and full bass on the last four beats before the drop, and during these last four beats, I'm cutting the live, outgoing, track in time with the four beats from the incoming track...like a reverse pump or a cut, whatever you want to call it. Then on the drop, return the outgoing track to full volume, bass, and cut the bass to about 9 on the incoming, dropping volume to about 80% (from the full where it was for the last four beats). Meanwhile, the incoming track will have looped back around to the 1 and I'll release the loop and continue the mix live from there.

I use a variation of these techniques on most of my mixes - it really adds an element of energy and creativity that a lot of house mixes don't have, beyond basic intro/outro mixing.

JackStalk

07-23-2012, 01:12 PM

The crossfader technique is pretty cool, but like Ben said I can usually do the same thing with the upfader. I can see where using the crossfader is beneficial so you don't clip the mixer during each thump.

Sigma

07-23-2012, 01:29 PM

I can see where using the crossfader is beneficial so you don't clip the mixer during each thump.
Using the crossfader is also beneficial because you can accurately and quickly do it with one hand. While you can adjust the line faders with one hand too, it's pretty hard to slam one to the top and one to the bottom at the same time with one hand, and to keep reversing it. There are more advanced variations on this technique such as double/triple beating where you need to have one hand on the record as well, so using the crossfader is pretty much the only way to do that. Mind you, if you're using the gains properly you should never clip the sound (assuming that's what you meant) if you use the line faders either.

If you want to quickly swap back and forth between one deck and the other while keeping the volumes of both the same - well, the crossfader is designed for that, so why not use it?

ben mills

07-23-2012, 01:34 PM

If you want to quickly swap back and forth between one deck and the other while keeping the volumes of both the same - well, the crossfader is designed for that, so why not use it?

For me it's mostly because I just keep it turned off all of the time. But also because using the faders I'll sometimes do things I wasn't really thinking about, on the fly, adding little elements of creativity that you have using the faders but not with the crossfader. Each have their advantages though...and in the end it is probably whatever you are more used to and comfortable with.

JackStalk

07-23-2012, 01:49 PM

I usually have my crossfader switched off so I don't accidentally bump it. I took the plastic cap off as well so I don't even glance at it. I'll have to try it out though!

Sigma

07-23-2012, 02:15 PM

For me it's mostly because I just keep it turned off all of the time.
It depends what style of DJing you do - and you're obviously not spinning hip-hop - but if you were, having it turned off would seriously inhibit your creativity. It would inhibit mine no matter what music I'm mixing though, and leaving it on doesn't prohibit me from using the line faders when appropriate.

ben mills

07-23-2012, 02:25 PM

You're right - I play house.

I can definitely see uses for it turned on with house - but I also feel it is more fun, for me, to use the faders.

tekno_violet

07-23-2012, 06:51 PM

Awesome info guys,

Im gonna have a long practice session today with all the above mentioned techniques . I think my practice sessions are so frustrating is because im not actually practicing my mixing techniques but instead trying to make a sweet mix....(without a solid knowledge mixing techniques).

Mixxed

07-31-2012, 02:16 PM

All great techniques... I love the echo out, I use it a lot a'la Jazzy Jeff...

But it's important to vary it up, don't get caught doing the same thing over and over again...

Sigma

08-01-2012, 08:12 AM

But it's important to vary it up, don't get caught doing the same thing over and over again...
Definitely. And even though I say that to people a lot, I do still fall into the trap of overusing things, particularly the echo outs!

XZVASAS

08-06-2012, 09:11 PM

Those are a few I use, but there's a bunch of ways to mix two tracks together. It's the art of DJing, and takes practice. Just mess around with the buttons and learn how they all compliment a given track.

I sometimes like to fade out using an echo to make a huge tail on a backspin.

Wurd.

djransom

08-27-2012, 11:22 AM

I like to either echo out and switch or talk my way through it sometimes.

Defiance

08-27-2012, 12:18 PM

A more advance technique (advance meaning I don't have it down solid yet) is to use the delay/echo effect, loop a section and scratch back and forth, increasing the speed of the scratch, to go into another song, you can use it to create a build up, change the speed up in your set, or if your phrase is off you can 'cover' with it.

Definitely. And even though I say that to people a lot, I do still fall into the trap of overusing things, particularly the echo outs!

I think it was you who pointed it out to me that I also get stuck doing the echo out (delay out in my effects) now that I learned how lol

DJstrandeng

09-30-2012, 08:45 AM

I use the beatmatch + bass swap alot of times! so amazing!!!

djromanj

10-03-2012, 03:45 AM

after reading all these technics i'm definitely going to tear it up!
Yah changing up your style is very refreshing.